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[INTERNATIONAL] · Guinea, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal · 9 sources

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Part of situation: Migration trends and border crossing shifts in Europe (2 clusters)

IOM reports 59% drop in West African sea arrivals to Europe amid rising route dangers

West African migration IOM report Mediterranean sea routes Atlantic migration route border controls

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that sea arrivals to Europe from Mali, Senegal, Guinea, and The Gambia dropped by 59% during the first half of 2026, totaling 4,566 people. Despite the decline in numbers, the migration landscape is becoming increasingly dangerous as routes shift.

Increased border controls in Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal have pushed departures further south to countries like Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. These new routes can extend up to 2,200 kilometers, roughly 750 kilometers longer than previous paths, increasing exposure to maritime risks. While the West African Atlantic Route remains the primary path for 83% of these migrants, there is a notable increase in arrivals via the Western and Central Mediterranean routes.

Data regarding the Canary Islands highlights this growing danger: although arrivals fell 62% between 2024 and 2025, the number of deaths and disappearances only decreased by 4%, from 1,215 to 1,172 cases. IOM Director General Amy Pope noted that declining arrivals in specific areas often signify a shift to more perilous routes rather than a reduction in migration pressure.

Entities

Amy Pope · Guinea · International Organization for Migration · Mali · Senegal

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Sources

ОН: Над 4. 400 деца загинале на мигрантските рути [trn.mk]
Migración a Europa cae 59 %, pero crece el peligro [bajotecho.com.do]
Migration Routes Claim 4,414 Children’s Lives — IOM [thevaultznews.com]
Agjencia e OKB-së për migracionin: Mbi 4. 400 fëmijë migrantë kanë humbur jetën në mbarë botën që nga viti 2014 [www.mesazhi.com]
Influx of West Africans to Europe drops 59% as routes turn deadlier – IOM [realnewsmagazine.net]
UN objavio podatke o smrti djece migranata: Stvarni broj mogao bi biti puno veći [www.072info.com]
OIM: llegada de migrantes a Europa experimenta caída pero mayor riesgo - teleSUR [www.telesurtv.net]
UN objavio da je u 11 godina na migrantskim rutama poginulo više od 4400 djece [www.index.hr]
Europe records 59% decline in migrant arrivals by sea from four West African countries [nairametrics.com]